In The News

June to November

Khaled Dawoud June 4, 2004
As the June 30 deadline for transfer of sovereignty approaches, it is increasingly clear that the triangular relationship between the US White House, the Iraqi Governing Council, and the United Nations is a bit lopsided. The UN envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, was supposed to be in charge of selecting Iraqis to fill key posts in a new interim government. But right up until the announcement of...

Trade Theory vs. Used Clothes in Africa

Carter Dougherty June 3, 2004
In Uganda the seemingly ubiquitous struggle between free traders and protectionists is played out in the debate over used clothes. Like so many other cities in Africa, Uganda's capital, Kampala, is the destination for millions of dollars worth of second-hand garments from the developed world. But while myriad jobs have sprung up in Uganda's used clothes trade, those involved in the...

China: The Missing Member at the G-8 Table

Jeffrey E. Garten June 3, 2004
China's key position in the world economy is increasingly obvious. A slew of indicators, from car usage and steel output to population size, shows that China cannot be ignored. Yet, writes Jeffrey E. Garten, Dean of the Yale School of Management, China will not be attending the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Georgia. Americans and others should wake up to China's importance for even...

Beijing's Social Contract is Starting to Fray

Minxin Pei June 3, 2004
Marking the anniversary of Beijing's crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protest movement 15 years ago, China scholar Minxin Pei writes that the Chinese Communist Party's hold on power is not sustainable. The regime has been fortunate, he says, to have achieved such unprecedented economic growth and prosperity since 1989. But the party's 'neo-authoritarian' development...

Islam and West: Time for Enlightened Moderation

Pervez Musharraf June 2, 2004
The events of the recent past have brought the Muslim world to a state of emergency, writes Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan. The world perception of Muslims as violent extremists has placed the moderate and peaceful faithful – the “innocent multitudes” – at odds with the world. The proliferation of suicide bombers and the events of 9/11 have bred a deep fear in the West of Islam and its...

Iran Still Making Nuclear Materials, U.N. Agency Says

Willliam J. Broad June 2, 2004
Iranian claims to have discontinued research and development related to its nuclear program has been called into question by the International Atomic Energy Agency, an affiliate of the United Nations. The agency’s latest report suggests that Iran persists in making parts and materials that could eventually be used in the creation of nuclear weapons. Iran insists that the evidence found is related...

US Nation-Building Abroad – Part III

Ahmed Rashid June 1, 2004
After over 30 months of active engagement in Afghanistan, the US military is still not able to guarantee peace and security within the country's borders. Osama bin Laden, whose presence in Afghanistan occasioned the US intervention in the first place, still remains elusive. In the final installment of a multi-author series on America's nation-building efforts, journalist and author...